Shades of Solitude
by dinocavallones
Summary: Threats are typical in Enma's every day life, but this one is just ridiculous: "Befriend Kyoya; lure his weakness out of him, and then tell us. If not, we'll beat you to death." High school just got a lot more complicated. AU!1800
1. New School, No Friends

**Summary**: Kozato Enma's never been very good at avoiding trouble. Shy and easily manipulated, he is and always will be a tool for others. Threats were also typical in Enma's every day life, but this one was just ridiculous: "Befriend Kyoya; lure his weakness out, and then tell us. Fail to do so, and we'll beat you to death." If _that_ wasn't enough, Enma starts exchanging text messages with a secret person who won't reveal his name; naught is given but a nickname: Skylark. He doesn't think too much of this strange predicament. After all, what are the chances that this person could go to the same school as him?

**A/N:** I KNOW THEY HAVEN'T INTERACTED. Don't judge me~ Wondering if anyone would actually be interested in this pairing. But but but apparently, I'm not the only who thinks these two would look good together. :3  
**Dedicated**: to Roriette, because she ... likes this too? Hopefully? Yesh? No. YES. I know you like TYL!18x00, but...hope you like this anyway. ;3

So yesh, all those who agree, read on ~

* * *

_Shades of Solitude_  
_ stage one_

_new school, no friends_

* * *

It was a gentle, windswept day in the midst of October, and there was a new transfer student in the school. With dark crimson hair wisped in neat disarray, violet-red irises inexplicably blank, shoulders stooped as if insecure, pale lips formed in the slightest frown, and with bandages adorning his fragile face, the new kid's black bag was nearly sliding off his shoulders as he dragged his feet into the classroom. Following him was a daunting, gloomy atmosphere.

"We have a new transfer student today, and we have the privilege of having him in our class." The teacher was a fairly elderly man, his eyes stern and his cheeks sunken in from age. "Everyone, please welcome him and treat him kindly. What is your name, young man?"

The boy stared ahead, and then when his eyes caught the gaze of someone else, he immediately dropped his eyes to the ground. Nothing was spoken for a few seconds, and then the class heard a soft mumble. The teacher raised his hand to his ear. "Could you repeat that?"

The redhead bent his head, his eyes now on his worn-out, white and navy sneakers. "…I'm Kozato...Enma." Only the people at the front heard him, and when the teacher asked him to repeat himself again, he stayed silent. This was already humiliating enough. He didn't want to repeat himself so many times. Derisive murmurs started to pass around the classroom, mainly from the boys. He heard a few of the girls' comments, and most of their sentences were laced with the words 'cute', 'aww', and 'shy'. Enma was almost sure that the boys were calling him an anti-social wuss.

"You can take that seat over there, Kozato-kun."

Nodding silently, Enma adjusted the bag on his shoulder before trekking towards his assigned seat, which was right beside a vertically-challenged brunet with big eyes. Enma barely spared him a glance as he slumped down wearily into his seat. Rumors and whispers were already being initiated around the classroom like chain mail: was the new boy near mute or something? His lithe fingers clasped together nervously as his eyes bore into the desk in front of him, almost as if he wanted to drill a hole in it just by gawking at it. Unzipping his slightly torn, olive green pencil case, he pulled out his favourite black pen, propped his chin on the edge of the desk and –

Well, he _would _have started writing if he had a piece of paper. He _knew _he had been forgetting something that day. He blinked at the space on his desk, as if doing so would magically conjure up sheets of paper. He heard a voice on his right,

"Mahh, do you need paper?" Without waiting for an answer, the black-haired teenager started rummaging through his bag. Enma watched as the bag's buckles clicked against each other, and after a few more seconds, the boy glanced up apologetically, nothing in his hands. "Oops. I forgot to refill my binders."

"What are you doing, Yamamoto-kun?"

Enma turned his head a bit to look at the brunet. Behind him was another teenager with silver hair that curtained the sides of his pale face. It reminded Enma of an octopus, and he was sure that he wasn't the only one who thought this. The boy was glaring in the redhead's direction, but something told Enma that the menacing look wasn't directed at him.

"Oi, baseball idiot. He asked what you were doing."

The teenager named Yamamoto grinned first at the brunet, ignoring the silveret completely. "Ah, Tsuna, I don't have paper for Enma."

"Oh, here." Tsuna yanked out a fresh, surprisingly unwrinkled sheet of lined paper and placed it gently on the redhead's desk. Enma parted his lips to mumble a quiet thank-you, but the silver-haired boy beat him to it.

"You have to say thank-you," the boy snarled bluntly. He seemed to be rather protective of the brunet, and it made Enma's heart a little warm to see that Tsuna had someone to protect him. Enma didn't have anyone like that. Tsuna immediately whirled around on his friend, brown eyes wide and hands waving frantically in front of him.

"Gokudera-kun! It's okay, really."

Enma's mini frown deepened when Tsuna sent him a wide smile. Friendly as it was, Enma felt a little troubled. Meeting nice people wasn't really a routine for him when he moved to new schools; he was usually met with tormentors and bullies targeting him around every corner he turned. Little did he know that that moment was not too far away.

"Sorry about Gokudera-kun," Tsuna apologized to Enma. He looked anxious when he spoke, and Enma had a feeling that maybe the brunet wasn't too sharp with his social skills either. It made him feel a little bit at ease, until – "What happened to your fa—"

"Dame-Tsuna! Pay attention!"

"HIII! Yessir!"

"How dare you throw chalk at Tsuna!" Gokudera bristled as the brunet cowered behind his math textbook. Enma stared, bewildered at the scene in front of him, while Yamamoto laughed not unkindly at his friends. What an odd group this was. No one saw but Tsuna, but Enma had the slightest shadow of a smile on his face. As soon as the redhead's eye met with Tsuna's, he quickly shied away and looked down. So even the new kid had a nice smile; Tsuna had a feeling that maybe they could be friends. As soon as order was restored in the classroom, Enma pressed the tip of his pen into the corner of his paper, and resumed work.

Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

"Enma-kun, are you having lunch with anyone?"

Enma blinked; did Tsuna just discreetly invite him to have lunch with him? Well, he only questioned whether or not he had anyone to be with at this period, but he knew it was an invitation nonetheless. This never happened; the paranoia in his heart told him to quickly decline. He nodded his head – yes, he did have someone to have lunch with, which was a total, complete, utter lie. He shook his head once for uncertainty, and then jerked his head down. Tsuna made a confused face, and Gokudera looked like he was about to snap at the redhead for changing his mind so many times.

"Make up your mind, will ya?!"

"Gokudera-kun! Please, could you wait outside for me?"

The silver-haired teenager made a move as if to contradict the brunet, but a quick, anxious look from the latter made Gokudera's expression soften. As soon as the rebellious male left the room, Enma murmured in a half-envious voice, "He thinks a lot of you."

"E-Eh?!"

"I can tell."

Tsuna found that Enma spoke more when he was alone with someone else. "Yes, w-well..." Tsuna scratched the back of his head modestly. He wanted to reassure Enma that he only wanted to be his friend. "About lunch..."

"Maybe next time," said Enma in an apologetic tone. Tsuna blinked in disappointment, but he let it go. He watched as Enma hastily backed away; he managed to turn the corner without feeling guilty, but when he stopped beside his locker, he started to feel a little remorseful. Maybe Tsuna really _was _just trying to be friendly, and wasn't trying to plot something against him, like all others before. As he swung open his locker, he caught a few hushed words that the girls were gossiping about behind him.

"Did you hear what Hibari-san did this morning?"

"You mean what he does almost _every _morning. I hear the guy he beat up can't even walk properly anymore. And just because he wasn't wearing the proper uniform, too."

"Yes, but ah~, Hibari-san is still so cool! Leader of the Discipline Committee, indeed."

_Hibari? _Enma thought absentmindedly as he stacked his mathematics binder on top of his textbooks. He checked the glass window ahead of him, squinting to see his reflection. The bandages were still neatly stuck onto his face from last week's tumble. He didn't know how, but a clumsy blond had come up from behind him while he was about to descend down the stairs to his apartment and had knocked him down. His face was bruised quite nicely, but the bandages covered most of them up. His red eyes stared gloomily back at him, and as he tilted his head to the side, he wondered what he could do to pass the time. He still had one more class before the school day ended.

The October weather was nice, so there was no harm in stepping outside for some fresh air. Enma inhaled lightly as his sneakers brushed against the gravelly asphalt of the school grounds. He scratched at the band-aid taped across the bridge of his nose distractedly. As he strode around the school, taking in its view, he saw that the bricks were a light auburn colour, and the windows were painted with a glossy white. He peered inside a window, and instantly ducked out of view when he realized that there was a class inside. He knocked his knuckle gently against the sturdy wall before following the trail down behind the school. He heard voices around the corner. It seemed like he was just running into a lot of conversations lately.

"Damn it. That kid doesn't have any weaknesses, does he?"

"You mean that Kyoya bastard? Of course not."

"He _has _to. We need someone to get inside and get close to him."

"…Don't look at me. Does it look like I can be good friends with that crazy guy?"

"Whoa, I'm not doing it either."

Enma peeked around the corner, curiousity getting the better of him. The senior boys were nothing short of ugly; that was one word to describe them. Smoking and leaning languidly against the black fence that looked like it was about to break under the bigger one's weight, they reeked of weed and trouble. Enma noticed that one in the group had a distinct black eye. Not only that, but he was out of uniform as well, and his leg was wrapped with cloth rather awkwardly. The redhead had a feeling that this was the boy that the girls had been talking about earlier. Knowing that getting involved in this would probably be a bad idea, he started to turn around to leave, but not before the farthest teenager's eyes met with his. Noticing Enma's obviously shy and introverted demeanor, a wide smirk replaced his worried frown.

"Hey, maybe I've got the perfect candidate."

It was moments later that Enma found himself being backed up into a wall, eyes expressionlessly gazing up at the four boys. From what he could tell from his short height compared to theirs, they were considering him to…do something. Do what? He had no idea.

"Hey, kid, do us a favour, huh?"

All Enma did was look up questioningly. The injured teenager began to speak, "You're new, aren't you? Well, maybe you don't know Hibari Kyoya personally, but I've had a few run-ins with him, and let me tell you, he's horrible, okay? So, all you gotta do is get him to be buddies with you, find out what his weakness is, report back to us, and we can send him to hell where he belongs. Sound good to you?"

"Tell him what happens if he doesn't do it," the others snickered scornfully. "He will, though. Look at him. He looks so weak." One of them prodded Enma's head and the boy tottered, and on regaining his equilibrium he retired back a step or two. Into the wall, once again. Disdainful laughter broke out around the group.

"If you don't do it…" The boy trailed off, looking thoughtful. "If you don't do it, you're gonna get beat up badly. Like, so badly that you'll have to stay in a hospital for weeks and you're gonna wish you've never been born. Ya understand?"

Enma wondered what compelled him to even nod his head. He had heard these threats before, and the worst thing was that the bullies actually ended up going through with their word. What made this group any different? How did he get into this complicated situation, anyway? Who was Hibari Kyoya? And why him? Oh, he knew the answer to that last question. He was always attracting trouble; everywhere he went, problems followed promptly behind.

"Do you know how to speak, kid?"

Even if he did, he wasn't going to speak with this bunch. Enma dropped his gaze, but the moment he did, he received a smack across the head. Clutching his throbbing head, his eyes watered when he glanced back up. One of the boys looked bothered.

"I thought we were gon' beat him up if he doesn't do what we says."

"Yeah, well, we gotta get that Hibari's attention first, don't we? Why not? This is to motivate little what's-his-face over here."

So that was how Enma ended up getting thrown onto the ground, feet trampling over his stomach, his legs, his arms – wherever they could reach, they stepped on him. Enma curled up into a ball, shielding his faces from the pummeling shoes and fists. No matter what they did, though, he never made a sound. Nothing obligated him to cry out in pain; he had gotten many beatings before from other bullies, and Enma knew that this wasn't even their full potential. They were saving that for last…when he didn't do what they said. Did that mean he had to listen to them? Everything was hurting so much…

"Don't you got a mouth?"

"Yeah! Why isn't he sayin' anything?"

A choked sob escaped Enma's lips when a surprise thrust into his stomach caused him to double over in agony. His face scrunched up as he tried to roll over, and through bleary eyes, he saw a blur of his bag's contents flooding to the ground. Papers floated gracefully to the ground as knuckles continued to rain down on the boy's weak frame. As if planned, it wasn't long until a shadow approached them, a shadow with a dangerous aura emitting from his very being.

"What are you herbivores doing?"

Then everything ceased. The punches, the kicks, the shouted insults, and even the clattering of Enma's belongings, stopped abruptly. There was a hissed intake of breath from one of the bullies, and they all backed away hastily. Enma managed to flip himself onto his back, and through the pain, he cracked open an eye to see a boy towering over him. This raven-haired male must have been at least a year older than him, but that didn't stop him from seeming ten times more intimidating than the bullies themselves. His stoic poise struck Enma to be a strict, unyielding person, and his features were nothing short of handsome. Enma closed his eyes wearily; the ground never felt so comfortable in his life.

"H-Hibari-senpai."

Why did they suddenly sound so frightened? They were so buff and fearless a second ago before this guy came – oh, was _this _the infamous Hibari Kyoya? Enma wanted to open his eyes again to take a second look, but he was too tired, and his eyesight was deteriorated.

"I will bite you to death for littering the school grounds with such detestable behaviour." Smoky eyelashes fluttered as dark, cobalt eyes flickered towards the redhead sprawled on the ground, but they looked rather uninterested at the sight.

"We were just leaving." Instinctively, each boy clutched the back of another, yanking each other back. Before limping away, the injured boy swung a swift kick at Enma's back, earning an alarmed lurch from the latter. Pattering of frantic feet could be heard, and momentarily, silence overcame the two remaining. Enma groaned inwardly; he couldn't feel his legs. His arms slid forward as he tried to push himself into a kneeling position, but his elbows were wobbly and feeble. Maybe collapsing back onto his stomach would be better than trying to stand on his own two feet.

He shook his head, gingerly touching a cut at the side of his face. It overlapped an old bruise, and it stung dreadfully. His face was going to be decorated with a few more bandages tonight, not to mention a few other parts of his body. Out of nowhere, strong hands grasped his upper arms and forced him to stand. A weak mumble of protest was all Enma managed to do. The hands never let go, and it took a while for Enma to realize that it was Hibari Kyoya that had his iron grip on his arms. The older teenager looked dissatisfied with the disheveled appearance of the new student, but even so, he let go – causing Enma to lean dangerously backwards. Luckily, the wall was there to catch him on time.

"So long as you can stand, herbivore. Get to class."

Enma couldn't believe his ears. Go to class? In this state? Hibari _had _to be joking. Fear-induced eyes snapped up to meet Hibari's demoralizing ones. "I…will faint," Enma declared quietly, half-stating the truth. He felt like he was going to keel over if he tried walking anywhere. The Leader of the Discipline Committee narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized the pathetic, barely-standing figure before him.

"I cannot allow you to pass out on school grounds."

Almost every sentence that Hibari used had something to do with the school. Enma rested his head against the wall, blowing a wisp of air from the corner of his mouth. It wasn't a wonder why those boys wanted to beat the crap out of this teenager. Still, he had a violent reputation, and though Enma knew he had to be careful around him, he didn't want to get beat up by a gang again. Getting close to Hibari Kyoya was going to be a problem, however, but he would have to deal with that tomorrow.

Begging for a job under Hibari's watch seemed very tempting at the moment…and also very frightening.

The two stared at each other for a while. It seemed to Enma that Hibari did not speak very much, not when there was no need to. The redhead swallowed hard, his vision spinning. A frustrated sigh came from the other's direction. "Follow me."

The order wasn't such a good idea, but the dark look in Hibari's eyes caused Enma's feet to take a step forward. With the last of his strength, he pushed his pencil case into his bag and dragged it along after him. He didn't care that it was getting dirty from being lugged across the ground. Enma was on the brink of consciousness, so it was no surprise for him when he reached the entrance of the school, oblivion enclosed his vision.

Hibari had been taking deep, strong strides towards the Nurse's Office; his hands were stowed in his pockets, and his gaze unwavering on the hallway in front of him. It was then that he heard a dull thud behind him and he impatiently turned around to see what had happened. There, lying on the floor, was the redhead. His body was just barely moving from his tranquil breathing, and Hibari frowned. It seemed like the school found a new target to bully. It was no longer Tsuna – well, maybe it was _still _Tsuna – but now this boy was dragged in as well.

Footsteps approached the black-haired male from behind, but with his sharp perception, he already knew who it was. "Kusakabe," he noted.

"Hibari-san?"

The steely gaze remained on the unmoving body of the redhead. His gaze fell onto the boy's shoes; he noticed that they were not the proper school shoes, but there was no point in telling an unconscious person that. "Take this herbivore to the Nurse's Office."

"Why is it that you won't take him yourself, sir?" his right-hand man dared to ask.

"I have paperwork to do." Hibari brought one hand up from his pocket to cover up a lazy yawn. "I do not have time to bring delinquents to specified places when I've got things to do."

"Of course. I'm just a little surprised, that's all." Kusakabe scooped the redhead up into his arms carefully, using his free hand to seize the fallen bag. "Normally, you would just leave them without care."

And Hibari knew it was true. Still, there was just something incredibly pitiable about this boy that he couldn't help but feel a sharp tug at his heart whenever he looked upon him. But a small, barely visible smirk spread on his lips as he started towards the direction of the Reception Room, where he often stayed in during school hours. "Do you still question my motives?" A challenge.

Kusakabe backed down, head bowing respectfully. "Of course not. I'll bring him to the nurse right away."

"Hm," Hibari hummed shortly. With his black jacket hung lackadaisically over his shoulders, it fluttered behind him as he made his way down the hall. There was a person he had to text later on in the day, and he made a short mental note at the back of his head to remember that. Pushing the redhead out of his mind, he thought about what other delinquents he had to watch out for, for the rest of the day.

* * *

The moment Enma blinked his eyes open, he was met with a white, tiled ceiling. His head was hurting tremendously, and his arms felt like they were being tied down to the bed he was lying on. Groaning, he blinked again, and for a second, he thought there was one of the bullies in front of him. When he rapidly and frantically tried clearing his eyes by rubbing them, he realized it was just a black lamp hovering over him. Memories of what happened an hour earlier flooded his mind and he just wanted to drift off into sleep again.

"_You don't know Hibari Kyoya like we do."_

Enma shook his head, trying to propel the voice out of his head. His hand shaded the blinding light obscuring his vision.

"_So, all you gotta do is get him to be buddies with you, find out what his weakness is, report back to us, and we can send him to hell where he belongs. Sound good to you?"_

"_If you don't do it, you're gonna get beat up badly."_

Enma didn't want that again. He knew what he had to do. He was quiet, shy, but he wasn't dumb. He'd figure out a way to save his own skin. He didn't know anything about Hibari Kyoya, but he was pretty sure that the boy had just left him after he fainted. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he ignored the nurse who was rambling and fussing over him, telling him that it was probably a good idea to stay in bed. Limping and leaning his hand against the wall for support, he found someone and asked her where the Reception Room was.

Down the hall and to his left. Enma hobbled along the side and when he finally reached his destination, he peered inside. He saw silky black bangs covering the respected teenager's eyes; his head was bent over his paper as he wrote and signed. Without knocking, Enma stepped in.

He should have knocked.

"Herbivore, what gives you the idea that I have time to talk?" Hibari didn't glance up, which alarmed Enma a little bit since he was rather quiet when opening the door. The boy's senses were sharp. Through the open window, a fluffy yellow bird flapped its wings and nestled comfortably on top of Hibari's nest of black hair. The other didn't seem to mind. Enma tapped against the door; with irritation, Hibari glanced up and his dark eyes narrowed in recognition. "Oh, it's you." Hibari flipped the paper onto its other side and returned his gaze back down to his desk. Enma stole a side-ways glance at the clock on the wall and realized that he had passed out for two hours. School was already over.

"Skipping class results in a detention," Hibari stated flatly, ignoring the fact that Enma had been in a semi-coma in the nurse's office.

"I was--"

"You are also out of uniform." Hibari stared pointedly at Enma's sneakers. The redhead instantly hid one behind the other by instinct, mumbling an apology. He closed his eyes, awaiting the blow he thought would come, but Hibari didn't make any moves to stand up. Just when he thought he would be let off the hook, he heard Hibari say with a haughty smirk, "You will have detention tomorrow, then. In here."

"Ah...when?" Enma didn't bother telling him that he couldn't find proper black shoes this morning; maybe the Discipline Leader would forget about it by tomorrow, and he would be able to skip detention. He couldn't help but think that Hibari was abusing his position just a little bit.

Hibari's attention returned to the papers on the desk. "During your lunch."

Enma nodded. After a while, only the scratching of a pen could be heard. Hesitantly, the new student finally said in a soft voice, "I have a request." He took Hibari's silence as a notion to continue speaking. The redhead inclined his head a little, his amber eyes now on the ground. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

"Speak up," Hibari snapped, a rather tempered aura cloaking his surroundings from his exasperation.

"Let me be in the Discipline Committee."

It was soon after those words were out of his mouth that Enma realized how it must have sounded. It sounded like he just wanted to be in the Committee because that way, he could stay under Hibari's shadow and avoid the bullies. That wasn't his intention at all, but he couldn't think of anything else in his cluttered and confused brain. All Enma could see was Hibari's frown; those pitch-black bangs were covering his eyelids, and then, swiftly and smoothly, Hibari stood up. The yellow bird quickly flew away. "No."

Enma had been expecting this answer, but it was disheartening nonetheless. Before he could say anything else, Hibari took quick strides over to where he was and the redhead stumbled back involuntarily. He had to try…one more time. The moment his lips parted, Hibari took another peril-filled step towards him.

"Leave before I bite you to death." _Shiing! _Out of nowhere, black tonfas guarded the forearms of Discipline Committee leader, and Enma's eyes bulged at the sight. He didn't know how to fight, least of all defend himself – if he did, he would have fought back against his tormentors a long time ago. His back collided against the wall across from the Reception Room; Hibari stood at the door, his eyes glinting and a small smirk lifting the corner of his lips. "There's no room for herbivores here." And he shut the door.

Kozato Enma would have to think of a completely different plan.

* * *

Moping around at home wouldn't do, though. Lying down on his stomach on his queen-sized bed, Enma flipped his cell phone up, then back down, then up, then down. He sighed, watching the screen flash a blinding white as he opened it once more to check if he had any new messages. Who would text him? The very idea was just absurd. Tomorrow, he would have to have lunch with Tsuna and his friends to avoid from getting beat up once again. Yawning and gathering sleepy tears in his eyes, he was instantly startled when his phone vibrated.

One new text message.

He clicked _read._

_"For the last time: No, Chiavarone, I will not go on a date with you."_

Carmine eyes squinted at the small text, and for a small fraction in time, he didn't know what to do. So he finally gets a text message, but it was for the wrong person. Who _was_ Chiavarone, anyway? A girl? Sighing heavily, he propped himself onto his elbows and texted back with one hand, the one that didn't feel like it was broken from the fracas earlier.

_"Wrong number?"_

* * *

Hibari felt a buzz at his left leg and, with an air of frustration, he reached into his pocket and yanked out his cell phone. Earlier during school, he had gotten a call from a certain blond, but since he was too preoccupied with work, he did not answer the call (not that he really wanted to). He texted what he thought was the right number, but when he read the message, he immediately knew that he had been wrong. Even so, he was too proud to state that he had been mistaken. Frowning at his flaw, he clicked on the phone:

_"...No, it's not. Who is this?"_

After a tentative two minutes, like the other person was debating whether or not to answer, Hibari received a rather disappointing answer:

_"No one important."_

A smirk adorned the raven-haired male's face as he replied back promptly. Normally, he wouldn't talk to someone he didn't know, but then again, he never got a number wrong either. This would be one day where he was doing things out of order.

_"Well, I'm someone important."_

* * *

Enma left his cell phone propped on his pillow, watching it light up and listened as it buzzed against the soft fabric. It was strange, but he felt contented just talking to this unknown person, even if they _did _only exchange around four messages. Someone important? Enma smiled against the blanket pressed on his lips as he reached for his phone. He _was _rather curious in knowing who this so-called-important person was. Checking the number, he realized that it was someone in this area. Tapping the new bandage on his right cheek, he ventured a guess.

_"Prime Minister of Japan?"_

In no time, he got a rather annoyed reply.

_"-_-"_

Enma gnawed on his chapped bottom lip, noticing how absurd his text must have sounded. Why would the Prime Minister of Japan waste his time texting a stranger? It was obviously someone younger. Or maybe a pedophile. Enma dismissed the second thought. He didn't text back.

* * *

It was near ten o' clock when he decided to pick up his phone again. He had been lying on his back on his mattress, worrying thoughts crowding his head. He knew he would be approached by those bullies tomorrow, demanding if he was going to follow up on their plan or not. He didn't know how strong Hibari really was, and he doubted he could ask the Discipline Leader for help; his mind was already opting to help out the bullies. Yes, he was weak-minded like that.

He wanted advice. And his parents were asleep. But it wasn't like he'd converse with his parents about these matters anyway. However, he was running out of excuses why he came to home always looking like he fell repeatedly on his face.

Scrolling through his inbox with his thumb, he prodded the touch-screen phone and looked for the stranger's number. He started to type into the screen:

_"Important person, I have a question to ask."_

He sent it before contemplating whether or not the unknown person had gone to sleep already, but he let out a vague sigh of relief when he saw the person reply back.

_"If it's for my name, forget it."_

_Not very friendly, is he? _Enma mused. He wasn't going to ask for his name, anyway, but he wanted to be able to call this person something. …If they were going to continue texting like this, anyway. He automatically thought that this was a male, since he had a feeling that if this was a female, the girl would have started asking awkward questions. Since the other recipient was already replying, then maybe he would continue doing so tomorrow.

_"What should I call you, then?"_

The answer was thought out and it was minutes later until Enma received a one-worded reply, followed by another text, one that sounded like the other was getting sleepy and irritated (seeing as there was no question mark at the end of the question):

_"Skylark."_

_"Is that all."_

Skylark sounded like a male nickname. Enma weighed out the question he wanted to ask in his head. Finally making up his mind, he silently texted back to the person. He never expected to meet someone like this, but he figured it was a lot easier than speaking to someone face to face. He hadn't met a single person so far that he could act like this to, though maybe there were a couple of exceptions.

_"If someone wanted you to do something horrible to another, if it was to keep you from getting hurt, would you do it?"_

He wanted an unbiased answer, which was why he asked this random stranger. However, he was expecting more than a useless answer:

_"I don't get hurt, so your question does not apply to me."_

Lucky for the stranger then, never getting hurt and all. He supposed that he was going to have to do what the bullies told him to do. He tried one last time.

_"But for me?"_

Enma wasn't expecting a straight answer, so instead of waiting for another disheartening answer, he started for the washroom to brush his teeth. He didn't smile at the mirror; his reflection was still staring gloomily back at him. The bandages were going to cover his entire face if these beatings continued to happen. He wished they would stop. Why would they do that, anyway? He never did anything wrong. He just never talked. As he shuffled back into his room, he collapsed onto the bed and sighed tiredly, all energy drained from the day's activities. He stole a faltering glimpse at his cell phone and when he didn't see an answer, he shrugged one shoulder and switched off the light on his bedside table. It didn't matter, he supposed. He flinched when his head rested against his fluffy pillow; even though it was soft and comforting, the pains in his body didn't help the matter. He rolled onto his side and tried to fall asleep – until a hushed buzz came from his bedside table. Peeking one eye open, he read the message. Though it was only two words, he felt slightly more at ease before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

_"Protect yourself."_

He would have to try and talk to Hibari Kyoya again...tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: **The texting will get important, mayhaps, later on in the chapters. So anyone actually interested? :3 If so, alerts are always and forever will be welcomed. ;D If there are any mistakes, it's because I don't know Enma's character that well, seeing as he's only been in two chapters so far. But if anything, I will always go back and change things if necessary. BUT AW, HE CAN SMILE. :3 He's so cute. And he can laugh! And he can talk. He's human. LOL. Anyway...

See you when I update~ Prince Seme is outtt. ;D


	2. Befriending Danger

**AN:**

Wao. I never expected to get this many reviewers/readers/alerters. You guys never cease to amaze me. ;3  
Thank you all so, so, so much.

So I tried dropping a few more 1800 hints this time, but nothin' serious, of course. I don't want the plot to move too quickly or else this story will be done in seven chapters. Do not like. D8  
Enjoy the read ~

1800 fans, FTW !

* * *

Shades of Solitude  
_stage two_

befriending danger

* * *

By the words, 'protect yourself', Enma took the stranger's words to mean 'do whatever you think will benefit you'. In this case, it was following orders, even if unwillingly. And it wasn't like he was _friends _with Hibari Kyoya anyway; the guy wasn't even remotely friendly, and he didn't even bother trying to be. Kyoya was Kyoya.

Everything ached when he woke up the next day. When he tried reclining into a sitting position on his bed, his lower abdomen throbbed and it felt like the pain one would get after laughing for an hour straight. He groaned, clutching his stomach; he didn't want to check how many dark purple bruises would be under his shirt. He attempted to stretch his arms up in a lethargic yawn, but that was hopeless too. Getting out of bed was another case; his legs had gotten tangled within his thin, white sheets and in no time, he rolled off the edge and landed on his already-sore face.

As he was about to leave the washroom, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. A ring of black was forming nicely around his left eye, and he winked it shut, feeling the ache. His head drooped; he should have put a hard-boiled egg on it yesterday after he had gotten it. Maybe the swelling wouldn't have been so bad. He lifted his shirt up to his shoulders and looked down; he was not happy with the sight. Pushing his school shirt back down, he sighed as he dropped his toothbrush into his cup with a loud _clank _and left the bathroom to go into the kitchen.

His parents had already left the vicinity, so it was only him and the still air of the apartment. Spooning in cereal and milk into his mouth, he wondered how he was going to get through _this _day. The bullies were literally asking him to do the impossible; getting close to Hibari was almost as unfeasible to do as getting bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining super human powers. No, Enma was not a closet Marvel fan. Suddenly losing his appetite, he sighed and picked up his school bag. Incredulously, his pencil case was still intact, but his school shoes were still missing; he would have to find them another day.

Hopefully, Hibari would not notice them a second time.

Enma attracted even more stares this time when he walked into his class with his head bent and his out-of-uniform shoes dragging along the floor tiles. Taking his place beside Tsuna, he slid out his binders out of his bag (he had remembered paper this time). He turned his head to the other side and found that the tiny brunet was staring at him in horror.

"Enma-kun, your face looks worse than yesterday!"

The redhead's left hand automatically reached up and touched the bandage on his cheek. "Ah…" He chewed on his bottom lip and nodded solemnly. Tsuna's eyes widened in understanding, and Enma got the impression that he wasn't the only one in the school that got bullied this badly. He was immensely grateful that Tsuna let it drop, though. He turned to his other side and noticed Yamamoto Takeshi grinning at him. Enma was wondering why when Gokudera passed by the other's desk, his backpack held over his shoulder.

"Forgot to refill your binders again, baseball idiot?" Gokudera scowled in annoyance as he sat down in his seat. Enma unclipped his binder and handed Yamamoto a sheet of paper. Note-taking was nearly all they did last class, anyway. And Enma was pretty sure that there was going to be a mini-quiz next week. Yamamoto smiled gratefully.

"I'll remember tomorrow. Thanks, Enma!"

"You're welcome."

Yamamoto's eyes widened, for it was the first time that Enma had exchanged words with him. Before he could rejoice in the matter, however, the teacher had tapped his meter stick onto the desk, calling for everyone's attention.

"I have your tests from last week marked. The highest mark, as always, is Gokudera Hayato with one hundred percentile. I won't mention anything about the lowest mark…" His eyes fell on Tsuna, and the brunet instantly slid down a little in his chair. He held the papers in his left hand, waving them with a flick of his wrist. "Come get your test when I call your name. Sawada!" he barked, making Tsuna jump, which also resulted in the brunet's knee colliding with the bottom of his desk.

"Ouch." Tsuna quickly got up from his seat and snatched the test paper from his teacher's hand. He held it to his stomach, not once glancing at it; it seemed like he didn't want anyone to see his mark. He had pressed the wrong side of the test against his stomach, however. Enma tilted his head at the upside-down five.

"Ah, Tsuna…" Yamamoto politely and discreetly pointed at the paper. Tsuna looked down.

"HIII!" He hastily flipped the paper onto his desk, facedown. The teacher merely rolled his eyes as he called up another student. Gokudera went up after three names, and by that time, Tsuna was complaining, "You're so lucky, Gokudera-kun. I wish I could be as smart as you."

"Tsuna…" Gokudera's hand reached out to pat Tsuna on the shoulder comfortingly, but he pulled back at the last second at a sudden change of mind. Tsuna's face planted into the surface of his own desk and a groan could be heard.

"I hate math…"

_I'm no good at math, either, _Enma thought as he watched Tsuna's friends frantically trying to cheer him up. Again, Enma's heart felt warm. Just watching these two earnestly trying their best to make Tsuna feel better was an uplifting feeling. The brunet eventually raised his fluffy brown head, but the moment he did, his elbow knocked over a blue pen over the side of his desk and it rolled underneath his chair and behind him. Enma was about to reach over and retrieve it, but Tsuna was already leaning his chair back to get it. Dangerously balancing himself on the chair's hind legs, the tips of his fingers managed to touch the pen before –

_CRASH!_

Tsuna's chair flipped and after two seconds of chaos, Enma found the brunet's back on the ground with his feet in the air like a bug. The class burst out into mocking laughter, and in a matter of seconds, Gokudera was on his feet, shouting at them reproachfully. Tsuna raised his hands over his head, sighing at how hopeless he was, but when he glanced over at Enma, the boy was smiling for a second time. It wasn't scathing like the others', but it was more of a mutual understanding of how alike they were. Tsuna couldn't help but smile weakly as well. A few people started to crowd around Tsuna to either laugh at him some more or to see if he was alright, and the teacher raised his voice to regain control of his classroom. It was two words that directed the class's attention back to the front:

"Hibari Kyoya…"

Even the teacher seemed shocked, but that was nothing compared to the scrambling of bodies and the clattering of chairs as every student rushed to get back to their seats. The Discipline Leader was standing at the doors, his glare on one particular boy, and that was Tsuna, who still had his feet up in the air. Said boy instantly picked himself up and plunked down into his chair, his brown eyes focused on the desk in front of him. Enma immediately stopped himself from smiling any further; the sensation in the classroom was everything close to dark and fearful.

Hibari's unfaltering cobalt eyes slid from Tsuna to Enma…then down. The redhead hurriedly hid his feet behind his bag, shading them from view. Hibari's face hardened, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to the teacher and said in a cool voice, "I apologize for interrupting but…" When his eyes roved over the heads of the students, the air fell heavy again and the nearest boy gulped. "…I do _hate _crowding."

The teacher seemed quite appreciative. "I have the class under control now, thank you."

Hibari raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, his eyes landing once again on Enma; the boy could already feel his neck warming up from the unwanted attention. He dropped his eyes to his knees, and he didn't breathe until he heard Hibari's retreating footsteps. The detention that he was supposed to serve that day never crossed his mind.

* * *

It was safe to say that the rest of the class went by rather smoothly, with no more useless tunas falling off their seat and no intimidating Discipline Leaders interrupting the lesson. As the lunch bell rang, Enma turned his head side to side to see Tsuna stretching his arms above his head wearily and Yamamoto staring out the window at the baseball field with a slightly dreamy expression; Enma's hand was aching from the large amounts of note-taking, and Gokudera may have not been paying attention the whole time and everyone would still expect him to get perfect on his next test.

Tsuna stood up, rubbing his eyes wearily. "Finally! Lunch…"

"Sitting by the fence again?" Yamamoto piped up as he gathered his things together and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Where else?" Gokudera scoffed. "Let's go, Tsuna." Yamamoto and the silveret strode side by side towards the door, with the latter elbowing the other aside to get to the door first. Tsuna smiled at his friends, slinging his bag over his shoulder before whirling on his feet to face Enma. The redhead had his head bent, crimson eyes vacant and unseeingly staring at the desk. Tsuna's forehead creased with worry, but he had a feeling that the new boy would just refuse lunch with him again. He started to turn around…

Until he felt a small tug on the back of his school vest.

He spun around on the heel of his foot and saw Enma's hand falling back to his side. Confusion clouded the brunet's mind for a moment in time, but then he realized what Enma was trying to say. He shrugged, nodding towards the door. "Come have lunch with us, Enma-kun."

Without any hesitation this time, Enma dragged his bag up from the ground and trailed behind his new friend. He had no interest in meeting with the bullies again, and this time, with three people with him, he doubted that they would attack him or question him. Yamamoto's and Gokudera's eyes both widened simultaneously when they saw the redhead following Tsuna out the front doors, but they said nothing of it. If Tsuna accepted Enma, then they would as well.

"Wow," Yamamoto said in amazement when Enma opened his lunch box. "That looks good."

Enma nodded quietly, gazing at his bento box in a proud manner; his mom always left one before leaving for work. On top of that, it was always decorated nicely, with onigiri, rice, and tempura filling the container. Enma had been moving his rice to one side with his chopsticks when Yamamoto placed a piece from his sushi lunch into his box. "Here, have one."

Enma blinked at the salmon, then jerked his head up to mumble, "Thank…you." He immediately averted Gokudera's eyes, afraid that the silveret would contradict him on tentatively uttering his thanks, but it didn't seem like the rebellious teenager minded too much, especially when it had something to do with Yamamoto. Enma was grateful for the gesture of friendliness, anyway. As he was thinking of this, he faintly heard the black-haired male saying,

"You know, Enma – I can call you Enma, right? Well, Enma, you know you can always have lunch with us."

"Who died and made you leader?" Gokudera snapped, exasperated, but he stopped talking when Tsuna murmured his agreement. The silver-head instantly changed directions in the subject at hand. "Well, if Tsuna agrees, then I do too."

Yamamoto laughed, running a hand through silky ebony hair. "Of course."

The corners of Enma's lips curled a bit, but something was bothering him. He felt like he really had something to do during this lunch, like he shouldn't really be here, sitting with Tsuna's friends and enjoying lunch. He had a strong feeling that he had an appointment…somewhere…

"Hibari-senpai is really scary, isn't he?" Tsuna managed to say as he forked a slice of pineapple into his mouth. Gokudera only rolled his eyes in response, and a hint of remembrance flickered in Enma's mind.

"That bastard takes his job too seriously," Gokudera spat, his hand crushing the plastic bag enclosed in his fist. "No, he _abuses _his position."

"A lot of people hate Hibari-san?" Enma questioned, speaking up for the third time that day. There was silence between the four as they took in the fact that he _had _indeed spoken out. Tsuna's eyes hastily darted around the area, as if worried that a certain someone would be lurking around and eavesdropping.

"Well, we don't _hate _him, but—"

"He's not well liked," Yamamoto finished bravely.

"Shouldn't be a surprise," Gokudera grumbled, his arms folded in front of his chest.

"Speaking of Hibari…" The baseball player's dark eyes wandered down to Enma's sneakers, a sympathetic smile on his lips. "He didn't get you for that yet?"

Violet-red irises expanded as Enma finally realized what he couldn't remember: he had detention with Hibari during his lunch for wearing improper shoes the day before. His bento box was only half done, but he instantly rushed to his feet, handing his food to Tsuna. He picked up his bag and quickly heaved it over his shoulder, brushing the dust off his pants.

"E-eh? Where are you going?" Tsuna asked, and he jumped in alarm when Enma started running, tripping over his baggy pants and sprawling onto the pavement. The redhead didn't pick himself up right away, but Tsuna heard a soft mumble that sounded suspiciously like 'I need to go somewhere right away'.

It was moments later that the new student found himself lost in the maze of hallways. Reception room – where was that again? He peered around every corner, but to no avail; if this kept up, he would never arrive and he would have skipped detention. Hibari wouldn't _hunt _him down, would he? A faint light bulb lit in his head as he abruptly remembered where to go. But to make matters worse (Enma really had no luck at all), he traipsed around a corner only to find the injured bully from the day before. Red eyes met with the blue, and Enma started to back away, retreating in his steps.

Only to bump into another boy.

"Well, if it isn't No Speaks."

Enma received a rough push forward and he found himself tripping towards the injured teenager. Instead of catching him, the bully drove him against a nearby wall, drawing a gasp of pain from the redhead. This time, there were only three, but it was enough to make fear restrict his throat and stop his breathing.

"Have you thought of our offer?" A round of snickers encircled the group. "Not that you can reject it, but we want a straight answer."

"Where ya headed, No Speaks?" They followed his gaze down the hall: the vague direction of the Reception Room, the domicile of a certain Discipline Leader. A smirk followed the mocking words, "Off to see that Kyoya bastard, huh?"

A silent nod.

"S'that mean you'll be listenin' to us, then?"

Another bow of a head. Enma really didn't know what to think. All he knew was that he wanted _out _of this suffocating circle; he wasn't even given space to _breathe _since they were so close to him. At his pathetic excuse for a nod, they grunted in satisfaction and moved aside to let him pass. Enma wasn't watching the ground though, so he never expected a foot to shoot out just when he was about to walk by one of them. He was so eager to leave that the moment the toe of his shoe made contact with the unyielding leg, he was sent flying forwards and his arms flew out to break his fall. He landed on the ground, on his stomach, with a dull thud; the air was knocked out of him and his whole frame shook with agony.

It hurt.

"Hurry up. You might want to think of a good way to get close to him or you'll be getting yours."

Arms aching and old bruises throbbing (not to mention new ones forming), he cast a fearful glance at the bullies and struggled to get himself onto his two feet. He staggered on the first step, but when one of the bullies stomped his foot forwards to scare him, he immediately scrambled back up to get away, much to the others' approval. This time, he had no choice.

He knocked once this time, on the Reception Room door, but he swung it open before he heard the consent to come in. He heard the door click shut behind him. Hibari was lying languidly on the couch, his head resting on the armrest and his arms crossed over his chest, but the moment Enma took a step forward, those thin lips parted. "You're late."

Enma wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. "I forgot."

One eyelid fluttered open and they immediately landed on Enma's shoes; it seemed like they were getting a lot of attention today, but Hibari's focus flew to Enma's face in a matter of milliseconds. He took his time swinging his feet over the side of the couch as he righted himself up; he covered up a lazy yawn with his hand. He stood up, draping his black coat over the couch. "Herbivore, what part of 'improper shoes' did you not understand?"

"I-I couldn't…"

"The consequence will be worse this time," Hibari interrupted in a warning tone. "Serve your detention after school. Now, leave."

Enma didn't budge from his spot near the door. He squeezed his eyes shut, his voice flooded with misery. "I can't." Dark orbs flashed dangerously, but the redhead plucked up the rest of his courage to continue. He didn't know where it was coming from, but the moment the words were out of his mouth, he felt his entire body weakening. "_Please, _let me be in the Discipline Committee."

If the atmosphere in the room could darken anymore, it would have. "What did I say yesterday?"

"You said 'no'."

"That is my answer today." He turned his back on Enma, expecting the redhead to give up and leave. When he didn't hear the awaited rush of cool air from the hallway, he knew that the new student was still standing inside the Reception Room. Hibari stiffened, his patience now running short. "You still stay?" he asked testily. Enma didn't get a chance to answer. Hibari lifted his arm with the slightest movement, tonfas in hand.

"What is your name?" The question was filled with authority, but masking it was a shadow of menace.

The answer was barely above a whisper, "Kozato Enma."

"Wearing abhorrent shoes, late for detention, and disobeying the orders of your elders. Kozato Enma, I will bite you to death."

The redhead barely had time to raise his arms to defend himself from the incoming hit; he had managed to hoist his left hand up to shield the tonfa aiming for his face, but he doubled over when the other rammed into his stomach. He clumsily fell back, spine colliding against the door. With no other way to run, he darted to his left, only to be blocked off by Hibari. The slight uplift at the corner of Hibari's lips could be defined as a smirk.

What confused Enma the most was how wherever Hibari attacked him, it would throb more than how a usual hit would be. He felt that the tonfas should be breaking his ribs by now, seeing how fast they were moving, but they weren't. Then, he realized why. It was like the Discipline Leader was hitting the already-bruised areas on Enma's body deliberately – to either avoid making new bruises, or to make the pain double. Either way, it was tiring Enma out a lot faster and it was making Hibari's job of beating him down a lot easier.

Not once did he cry out in absolute pain. He only gave away a weak whimper when Hibari's weapon made contact with his leg, causing him to fall onto his knees. Not even two minutes had passed when Enma received the final jab in the lower abdomen from the silver tonfa; his frail frame collapsed into the cold wall and he slid down, eyes sliding shut from exhaustion. He heard a barely audible huff of disappointment, and then the thudding of pacing footsteps. Enma tilted his head up and weakly opened his eyes to see Hibari's shadow towering over him.

Hibari propped his left knee between Enma's legs, and with his other, he straddled Enma's left leg so that the redhead could not escape, least of all, attempt. Raising his right arm, he watched as Enma's head drooped; he was phasing in and out of consciousness. He twirled the tonfa in his hand so that he could place the tip of it under the redhead's chin, tilting his head up so that their eyes could meet. Enma's breath hitched in his throat, and he maneuvered his head so that he could get away from the metal weapon; at this, Hibari only positioned the tonfa closer to his neck, constricting his breath.

"You still won't leave?" Hibari's voice was soft. Enma's only response was a delicate shake of his head. He was afraid that he would get beaten up again, so he flinched, allowing his eyelids to fall over carmine orbs. He heard a clatter on the ground beside him; Hibari had placed his tonfa on the ground, though he did not know why. With his eyes still closed, he sensed a hand reaching for his hair, and he jerked back in alarm when Hibari grasped crimson strands, tugging until the boy's head angled back. Enma was yet again forced to open his eyes and look into those tantalizing, dark irises.

"Stay awake, Kozato Enma."

Enma was finding it very hard to follow those instructions; he was so very fatigued, and he found that he could barely keep his eyes wide open. His hair was yanked again, and this time, a feeble cry escaped his lips, bringing him back into attention.

"Herbivore," Hibari snapped threateningly. "I said stay awake." After making sure that Enma would not slip into unconsciousness, the Discipline Leader took his time straightening up, and he brushed himself off, turning his back on the fallen redhead. "You have learned your lesson, I presume, but your detention has been extended for another week." Inwardly, Hibari would never admit it aloud, but he had been impressed how Enma never cried or made any sort of sound when he was being punished. He didn't feel particular regret for beating this fragile boy, but why did this student seem so fervent to be in the Discipline Committee? Hibari could never allow that, but…

"Make yourself useful during these detentions." Hibari took a quick glimpse around the room; the wastebasket was overflowing with crumpled sheets of paper, and there was dust collecting on the window sills. An idea lit up in his head, but his expression remained straight. "You can clean up this room." When he received no answer, he glanced back to find the redhead lying on his side, seemingly cataleptic. It wasn't until he narrowed his eyes and took a threatening step forwards that Enma shifted.

"…M'not sleeping…I'm awake…" As he struggled to sit up, he winced as excruciating pains shot up. He didn't want to go back to class, but he really had no choice. _Hibari-san is really strong…_ Enma thought as he stood, his balance wavering. The flat of his hand pressed against the wall as he steadied himself, and the other teenager just stared. "I'll clean," he mumbled. It was at least one step closer towards his goal.

"Good. Now get to class."

* * *

Tsuna had returned Enma's bento box at the end of school, with the food still in the container and everything. "Where did you go?" Tsuna questioned.

Simultaneously, the reminder brought flashes of pain coursing through Enma's body. "I had detention with Hibari-san. Except…" He looked away. "I forgot."

"HII? And you're still alive?"

Enma didn't know what he meant by that. Did Hibari usually beat delinquents up until they were unable to move or until they were lifeless? Was Hibari going easy on him? It didn't seem like it. Enma bit down on his lip anxiously. Their conversation died when Yamamoto jogged up towards them. "Tsuna! Want to go to my dad's sushi place to eat? You're welcome to come if you like, Enma." He gave him a friendly grin.

"I can't," Enma replied apologetically. "I've got detention."

"With who?" Gokudera had abruptly joined the conversation as well; Yamamoto was gazing curiously at the new boy. Detention…on the second day of arrival? Tsuna quickly started to urge the two out the classroom door, sending a concerned glance at Enma. Giving his new friends a final wave, Enma picked up his bag and headed towards the Reception Room. Politely knocking this time, he limped in and plunked his backpack near the door. Not knowing where to start, he cast a fearful glimpse towards the Discipline Leader, who was still resting on the couch. This time, it really seemed like he _was_ sleeping this time.

Tentatively, he picked up the wastebasket and watched as sheets of paper floated down to the ground. Sighing, he kicked those along as he strode out into the hallway; he had passed by a recycling bin a while ago. Ah, there it was. Dumping the contents inside, he didn't waste time in hurrying back to the Reception, hugging the wastebasket close to his side. He dropped it beside the desk with a disturbingly loud clatter. Hibari stirred.

But he didn't wake, much to Enma's relief. He didn't think he could stand the pressure of the teenager's resolute stare on him while he worked. He wet a towel and started wiping the window sills, which looked like they had been collecting dust since the age of the dinosaurs. Enma had opened the window slightly, just so he could get within the cracks, but when he stole a glimpse back up, he saw that the same fluffy yellow bird from yesterday had flown in. "Ah." He reached up, attempting to shoo it back outside, but it only dodged around his hands and perched itself on the backrest of the black sofa.

Walking around would only alarm the bird, making it fly away again. Enma dropped the towel onto the sill, taking slow, hesitant steps towards the bird. Carefully propping his knee on the edge of the sofa, and making sure that he did not disturb Hibari, his hand gradually inched towards the animal. It was only centimeters away when he heard an annoyed voice drifting into his ear.

"What are you doing?"

Quick as a flash, Enma's eyes bugged and he retracted his hand, causing the bird to yet again soar away. His gaze dropped down to Hibari's face; the latter was now blearily glaring up at the offender.

"You."

A blush from humiliation crept up Enma's neck as he shifted uncomfortably. "I was…I was…" If he continued the sentence and said 'chasing after a bird', he would've looked like more of an idiot. He stopped his sentence there and he leaned back, muttering an apology under his breath. He went too far, since he was starting to fall; he swung his arms like a windmill to regain his balance, but he was already tipping backwards. Hibari's hand shot out and grabbed the front of Enma's shirt, impatiently yanking him back up.

And causing him to fall on top of the Discipline Leader.

"A-ah…" Enma stammered; his hands were placed on Hibari's chest to keep from completely crushing the latter. Hibari's eyebrows knitted together as he glowered at the boy on top of him.

"You woke me up." Though Enma already knew this, the statement made the situation a whole lot scarier. The redhead couldn't move; his fingers were trembling and his right hand was shaking so much that it slipped off Hibari's chest, causing him to roll off. He landed with his back on the carpet, and his eyes widened impossibly when he saw Hibari standing. He immediately felt really small, comparing his height with the other. Scrambling back onto his feet, he bowed his head, allowing vermilion bangs to cover his eyes.

"I'm sorry." His body went rigid as he, again, feared for the blow to come. He was surprised when all he heard was a light yawn, and not the noise a tonfa would usually make. When he bothered to see what was going to happen, he saw that Hibari was standing merely a few feet away from him. Enma found himself trembling under the taller boy's death glare, and his back met with the wall again when Hibari neared him. He had raised his hand up, and Enma cringed. However, all Hibari did was hold out his forefinger to have the yellow bird flutter onto it.

"Do you know what happens to those who wake me up?" Hibari didn't wait for an answer before replying. "I bite them to death." His voice dropped to a low whisper, and Enma had to strain his ears in order to hear him. "I will have dealt with my fair share of delinquents after I finish with you."

That was all the prompting Enma needed to exit the room, and he didn't waste a second doing so. He could still feel Hibari's steely glare pelting into his back, so he dared not turn around. Still, he couldn't help but think over what had happened today. Hibari had not bitten him to death at all – sure, he had attacked him with his tonfas a few times until he could barely stand, and his words were always harsh, but if he could even treat cute birds nicely, then maybe befriending Hibari wouldn't be _that _hard of a task.

…or maybe that was just Enma's imagination.

* * *

The first thing Enma did when he came home was walk into the bathroom. To check his wounds, he pushed his shirt up and stared at the mirror in revelation. The only new bruise that had appeared was when the bullies had tripped him, but there were none from his punishment given by Hibari. Enma swallowed hard, a feeling of grudging respect aimed towards the black-haired male. He stumbled into his room and collapsed onto the bed. Almost without thinking, he picked up his phone. Skylark's number was the first thing that came to mind.

_"Skylark?"_

If the receiver would agree to continue these texts, Enma wouldn't mind. He was immensely happy to feel his phone vibrating.

_"What."_

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't hard to admit this certain thing, since it was already to be expected:

_"I couldn't protect myself."_

_"I have to hide behind someone else's shadow in order to keep myself from getting hurt, and in the end, I'm being forced to have to use him."_

* * *

_Herbivores will always be herbivores… _Hibari thought half-heartedly as he read the message. Having never been in this type of situation before, he couldn't give advice. He wouldn't even if he _could, _anyway. Advice was something that Hibari Kyoya never gave out. He didn't think it was his interest in helping weaklings out, but then again…just earlier today…

* * *

_"Wearing abhorrent shoes, late for detention, and disobeying the orders of your elders. Kozato Enma, I will bite you to death."_

_The moment the edge of his tonfa made contact with Enma's stomach, he felt the body giving away and he lessened the force of the blow only at the last instant. Realizing that he couldn't use the full extent of his power on this boy, he decided that he would have to finish this as quickly as possible without harming the kid too much. It disturbed him how he was going easy on him, but there was something so pitiful about the boy, like a helpless animal, that he couldn't help it._

* * *

The very memory caused his fingers to press harder into his phone:

_"Get him to protect you, then."_

It was only logical, so why didn't this stranger think of it?

_"He's intimidating, and he's mean."_

Hibari smirked at the trepidation embedded in those words, and he began texting back:

_"All the better."_

When he received a reply, he noticed the hesitance in the message. Something about this person reminded him of another certain someone, but he couldn't put his finger on it. After all, he knew a fair amount of useless herbivores at his schools, and there were barely any that he actually pitied. Save for…Kozato Enma…and this thought unexpectedly put him back into a bitter mood. He read the stranger's message again:

_"Well…he has protected me once."_

Hibari rolled his eyes; the way this person was talking, it made the stranger sound like a girl. How did this make the boy mean? How frustrating. So what exactly obligated him to respond again?

_"Then there is no doubt he will do so again."_

After getting no immediate reply, he asked with a splash of exasperation:

_"Can't a girl even protect herself once?"_

* * *

Enma buried his face into his pillow and groaned. Minus one for self-esteem. It would soon be in the negatives.

* * *

Resting his head against his bed post, Hibari heard the soft buzz from his cell phone, but he didn't look right away. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was answered reproachfully:

_"I'm a boy."_

With awkward tension holding out between the two cell phones, despite the distance, neither one wrote anything back for the rest of the night.

* * *

**AN:** Because because because... "...I'maboy ._. " -insert irresistible Enma pout- My throat hurts, my head hurts, and I'm sick. For the first time this year. Ugh. So I didn't go to school today, for the first time. I will update as soon as I can, but updates may or may not be as frequent as this one was. Slow moving plot is slow, but it takes time to ... even get remotely close to Hibari. D8 I abused page breaks because they were being difficult.

ENMA IS SO SHORT OMNOMNOM. Uke-material ~

See you when I update~ LOVE YOU!

**edit: **wao, i failed. i wrote "enma enma" instead of "kozato enma". mm, that's what happens when you're lazy and you do ctrl f replace.


	3. Butterflies

**AN:** You guys are all the best, nyehh. ; )  
Enjoy my last chapter for a month and a bit.  
Explanation after you read the story. Nomnomnom. 1800 hugs all around.

* * *

Shades of Solitude

_stage three_

butterflies

* * *

Enma was already ten minutes late when he was met with a full blast of sunshine early in the morning. His phone had run out of batteries in the middle of the night; therefore, his alarm clock did not ring at the designated time. By the time Enma had tripped over his own feet while yanking on his sneakers, he knew that he was definitely going to be late for school. Biting down on the dry piece of toast that had been left on the counter for him, he held it between his lips as he grabbed his backpack.

He managed to gulp down all of his toast before he reached the school. Taking in the full image of the building, he was a little taken aback to see a shadowy figure standing on the edge of the roof. Thinking that it was a suicide jumper, Enma had a second thought about walking away and pretending that he didn't see anything. But that was unorthodox, so he took slow, shy steps towards the building. In seconds, the figure had turned around and started walking away, and in minutes, Enma wished he had chosen to walk away. It had been Hibari Kyoya that was on the roof. A yellow ball of feathers fluttered down beside the boy and perched on his shoulder; Enma's crimson eyes were transfixed on the animal. Peeved at the lack of attention he was receiving, Hibari gave a sharp look to the fluffy yellow bird on his shoulder.

"Hibird, this is pathetic herbivore. Pathetic herbivore, Hibird. And you're late."

Enma didn't comment on the introduction; he already knew he was useless. Ducking his head down, he tried side-stepping around Hibari, avoiding speaking directly to the Discipline Leader at all costs. He was immediately blocked, and when he glanced up for a split second, he saw the smirk on the impassive male's lips. Suddenly dreading for his life, he backed a step away, and mumbled an apology that could be heard by nothing but the wind. Hibari didn't bother asking for a repetition. He stepped away, inclining his head and glaring at Enma with slight displeasure.

"Get to class."

Enma was only glad to oblige.

He was also glad that the teacher didn't reproach him for being late; his dark trousers were half-falling from running all the way to school, and he was panting, out of breath. Without even taking a glance up from the textbook he was reading from, his teacher waved him to his desk, and Enma was more than glad to rush to his seat. Letting his bag slide off his shoulder, he let out a wisp of breath from the corner of his lips and returned a slight smile to Tsuna; he looked just as exhausted as he did.

"I came late, too." Tsuna smiled sheepishly, shrugging one shoulder. "You came two minutes after I did."

"I tried not to come late," Enma explained, though he knew that there wasn't any need to make excuses - not to his friend, anyway.

"Here, Enma, you can copy my notes," Yamamoto shifted his desk to the side, and Enma's desk clattered as its edge made contact with the other boy's. He pushed his paper onto Enma's desk, and while he was doing so, Gokudera made frantic notions to connect his desk with the Tsuna's. A split second later, just as Enma took hold of the lined piece of paper, a shadow cast over Enma's slender body and, meekly, he glanced up to see Hibari glowering at the lack of space between Yamamoto and his own desk.

"You're crowding."

Apparently, he hadn't left yet. Briskly pushing Yamamoto's desk until there was a fifteen centimeter space between the two students, Hibari then stepped back, satisfied. Enma was suddenly very interested at the pencil marks on his desk, and he absolutely refused to look up again to meet those dark orbs. It was a good thing he heard pattering footsteps retreating towards the door; the air was starting to be a little uncomfortable.

"Ah? That was weird. Hibari sure is strange." There was a creak of a desk as its legs dragged across the floor, and once again, Yamamoto was connected with Enma. "Anyway, here you go."

Enma couldn't help but agree, though; it _was _a little strange.

* * *

Tsuna's eraser had fallen to the ground two minutes before class ended. Random as it was, it was rather odd to see a pink eraser bouncing along the floor until it rolled to a stop by Enma's feet. Gokudera had leapt up from his seat, causing a ruckus around him. Enma blinked at the eraser before stooping down to pick it up. By that time, it was too late for Gokudera to come running over to the rescue. The redhead held the eraser out for Tsuna to take.

"Ah, thank you, Enma-kun."

The moment their fingers touched, a shock sparked between them and Enma pulled back, alarmed at the sharp, stinging pain. It lasted for only a second, but it was enough to make his other hand grasp his finger tightly. Tsuna had recoiled with the same expression, and then, with an apologetic smile, he murmured, "Oops."

"What happened? Did he hurt you?"

The teacher had given up on the lesson. The class was disrupted – laughing – all because Dame-Tsuna's eraser had rolled to the ground. In two seconds, Gokudera had appeared beside Tsuna, gripping the brunet's hands in a worried manner. "Did he stab you?"

"E-eh? Gokudera-kun—no! It was just a static shock."

"Let me see!"

Tsuna was positively flushing a delicate shade of pink as he allowed his best friend to hold his hand. Gokudera seemed to be holding on for a longer time than needed, and Enma couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable pink colour spreading in his friend's cheeks. "I'm…I'm alright, Gokudera-kun." Prying his hands from his friend's, he turned to Enma with a glowing face just as the bell rang. "Are you having lunch with us again?"

This time, Enma remembered where he was supposed to go. "Detention."

Tsuna's shoulders fell in disappointment. "Detention again? Hibari-san must be really out to get you. He never has more than one detention for one person, unless you did something horrible."

"Or maybe he hates me," Enma voiced out, propping his chin into the palm of his hand. Though, even as he said so, he didn't believe his own words. If Hibari hated him, he would have bitten him to death yesterday when they were alone.

"Or maybe he likes you," Yamamoto stated, grinning from ear to ear. At this, Enma blushed a furious shade of red, and Yamamoto waved his hand. "Well, you never know, right?"

This was just making Enma even more confused. Hibari…liking _him_? Not likely. Standing up from his chair, he shrugged his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Well, we're in the library after lunch whenever you're done," Tsuna said, warily examining Enma's beaten-up form. The brunet wasn't so sure the other could survive another encounter with Hibari's tonfa. The redhead bobbed his head up and down to show that he understood, and then he strode out the door, shuffling the opposite way of the exit doors, where everyone else was heading. How he wished he could have one normal lunch for once.

If he could recall back, the two days that he had been here had not been normal at all.

The hallways were silent now; the Reception was in a secluded place in the school: third floor, and it was the room furthest from the stairs. As he turned the corner, once again, he was met with a surprise. There was a boy, probably a senior, who had his arms crossed and his frame was leaning against the wall like he had been waiting for Enma the whole time.

Well, that wasn't creepy _at all. _He didn't even know who this was.

Enma hesitated in stepping forwards, and when the male caught sight of him, he advanced, causing the frail redhead to back up. The taller boy laughed harshly. "Ah, what a wimp. So the other idiots were right when they said they got a coward to do their dirty work for them." The redhead had a strong feeling that he was with the other bullies. Their leader? The student had a shallow scar that crossed from one cheek, across the bridge of his nose, and to the other side of his face. With blond hair that was clipped up, the boy looked quite daunting; he smirked as he examined Enma, who was trembling in front of him.

Enma jutted his bottom lip out, slightly offended by the first part of the other's sentence. He stayed still anyway, watching the other's feet suspiciously. "Progress? It's only been two days." He found that he was able to say more when there was less of a crowd.

"So I'm guessing you have nothing, then," the boy drawled. He stepped forward, and Enma flinched back again.

"Are you the leader?"

The male let out a sharp bark of laughter. "I'm not gonna hurt you, stupid. I'm not part of their little group. And _my_ leader, Mukuro-sama, would never do something as idiotic as bullying you. It's a waste of time."

_But you're not going to help me either… _Enma thought miserably. The blond eyed him curiously before muttering disdainfully. "Y'know, I've no time to help kids like you, but have you thought of _anything _to save your own skin?"

Enma shook his head once, then something popped into his head. Not knowing why he would share this information with this stranger, he mumbled, "Well, Hibari-senpai seems to have a liking for Hibird."

"Hi-_what_?"

"…Hibird. His bird?"

Clearly, the blond had no idea what he was talking about as he was shooting Enma the strangest look ever. Then he clicked his tongue, deeming the subject unworthy of talking about. "Eh, whatever. I just came over to see what you were like. Pretty pathetic if you ask me!"

"Why are you here, then?" Enma mumbled.

"Why? Because Mukuro-sama told me to check up on you. Why he has such an interest in a peon like you, I have no idea." He stuck out his tongue jeeringly before stepping aside to walk away. Before turning the corner, he called back condescendingly, "Why don't you kidnap the bird, then, if you think it's going to do something?"

And with that, he was gone.

Enma was left staring at the Reception Room door. There were many things going through his head, like _who was Mukuro-sama? And…kidnapping Hibird and giving him to the bullies? Would that work? _Maybe.

_Knock, knock!_

No one answered. Enma tried rapping his knuckles against the door again, but still; no answer. Without further ado, and not wanting to be late for the second time for detention, Enma carefully swung the door open…only to find that Hibari wasn't even inside. A pallid glow filled the dim room; the window was slightly open, probably for Hibird to be able to fly in and out. Laughter from the teenagers outside floated into the room, and Enma wished more than ever that he was outside with Tsuna and his friends.

Opportunity knocked when a certain chirp ascended and filled the room with its presence.

The yellow bird seemed to sense Enma's intentions and it quickly flapped its wings to the opposite side of the room. Enma dropped the broom that he had been holding onto the side, taking a good glimpse around to see if anyone was watching. No one was there, so he was safe. Taking careful steps towards the animal, he watched as the bird flew away again, and landed on the black cabinet near Hibari's desk.

"Eh? You're making this difficult…" Enma mumbled to himself as he crossed over to the cabinet. He reached up on his tippy-toes, but due to his short height, he could not reach. After uselessly attempting to reach Hibird with his right arm, he gave up, and swiveled around to find a chair to stand on. Hibari's swivelly chair. Perfect.

Rolling it to the cabinet, he nearly slipped and fell when he propped his foot onto the cushiony seat. Hibird chirped in reproach, but Enma grasped the edge of the cabinet anyway to keep himself balanced. Hibird, surprisingly, stayed where he was, perhaps because it was curious to see what Enma was trying to pull off. Or maybe because it realized that even with Enma standing on a chair, his reach was still too short to grasp the fluffy yellow bird. Enma sighed, retracting his arm and propping his chin on the edge. "Can't you come here?"

Hibird seemed to give a little ruffle of its feathers; a definite answer of 'no'.

Enma gave a short huff of disappointment. _Even the bird rejects me… _His gaze dropped down to the cabinet before him, and before he dropped back down to the ground, he noticed something peculiar. The top drawer of the cabinet was slightly opened, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. On one of the brown folders inside, there were two words bolded: **STUDENT INFORMATION.**

Hibari Kyoya kept the files of all the students of the school? Enma stared at it for a bit, his mind working furiously. Did Hibari have an allergy? And would it be in there? Enma nearly fell off the chair just thinking of that possibility. Was it really that easy to be let off the hook? Casting a fearful glance at the door, he checked to make sure he was still the only one in the room before pulling the cabinet drawer open.

Searching for…H.

His vermilion eyes blinked as he passed through the E's, the F's, and the G's. Finally, he reached the H's. Hibari's name…was nowhere to be found. How strange. Would it be in the K's? Enma was just about to flip through when the aura in the room darkened once more. The only warning Enma received was the soft chirp emitted from the bird in front of him.

"…Herbivore, _what… _are you doing."

Like a deer trapped in headlights, Enma whirled around way too fast for his own good and the chair started rolling opposite of the cabinet. With need of a sense of balance, the redhead waved his arms in an attempt to stay still, but because of the failure in life that he was, his head hit the edge of the black filing cabinet and he fell to the floor with an unflattering crash. "Hnn…" Enma grasped his head, squeezing his eyes shut as the pain flooded into his mind.

Footsteps approached with a foreboding echo. Enma released his own head tentatively and peered up into Hibari's unwavering, cobalt eyes. _I'm…in so much trouble… _"I wasn't doing anything," the redhead tried to explain, but his words faltered as soon as he saw those stoic orbs flashing dangerously.

"Who said you could—"

"Hibari-san!"

Thank god for the person who barged into the room at that exact moment. Hibari's expression barely flickered as he turned around to face said intruder. "Kusakabe," he acknowledged in his deep voice. The latter took one long glance at the fallen redhead, to the open drawer with folders sticking out, to Hibari's deadpan expression; he was now wishing that he hadn't been the one to tell Hibari this bad news:

"…Someone has vandalized the school walls."

Hibari stiffened, and Enma immediately felt sorry for the person dumb enough to vandalize Hibari's beloved school walls. Maybe this way, he would be let off the hook? While Hibari went to deal with the other troublemaker, he would take this chance to run away. He was sorely mistaken, though; Hibari knelt down and drew something out of his pocket. It wasn't until he heard a sharp clank of unrelenting metal and felt the cold steel kissing his wrist that he realized he was now cuffed to the leg of the desk.

_What…?_

The Discipline Leader straightened up, regaining his composure. "I will deal with you later," he declared to the very lost and confused Enma before turning his heel. The redhead heard a low murmur just as the taller teenager left the premises. "Herbivore wants to be bitten to death, doesn't he?"

Enma hoped that he was talking about the vandalizing delinquent, and not him.

As the door clicked shut, Enma never felt so scared in his entire life. He had been beaten to near death by bullies before, and even been attacked by stray dogs wanting his food, but somehow, being stuck in Hibari's office, cuffed with no escape, seemed ten times more horrifying that those put together. His first thought was to whip out his cell phone and frantically press buttons, signaling for help to the first person that popped into his head.

_"Skylark! I'm in so much trouble!"_

He held onto the cell phone, holding it close to his chest as if it would save his life. It was weird, but he was expecting some comforting words from Skylark, something amongst the lines of 'You'll be okay', but knowing the kind of person he was just by texting him, it was unlikely. He was right.

_"Dealing with enough trouble on my end. ._."_

No help at all. Enma bit down on his bottom lip, staring at the screen as if doing so would change the words. Rejected twice that day. How nice.

Dreading the future outcome, Enma drew his knees to his chest; it was uncomfortable, since the metal handcuff was restricting most of his movements, but he did it anyway. He connected his forehead to his knees and sighed. And waited. He felt something grazing his feet, and slowly, he lifted his eyes to see Hibird perched onto his shoe. A melodic chirp calmed Enma's terrified heart faintly, and the redhead let a soft smile grace his features.

The door swung open.

Well, that had been a very _quick_ death for the delinquent who did the vandalizing. Enma wondered if the boy was even still alive.

Hibari didn't even spare Enma half a glance as he strode in, his cool demeanor unfaltering. Enma kept a wary eye on him, curling his toes within his shoes. Hibird was still perched on his sneakers; it seemed like it was making itself comfortable. Enma was going to be sitting there for a while, apparently. Hibari crossed over the polished floors of the Reception Room and sank down into the couch. Propping his elbow on the armrest, he kept a steady stare on the flushed redhead.

"I will ask you once more: what were you doing?"

"Mmmh…" Enma's mumble could not be heard through the fabric of his own sweater being pressed against his mouth. After receiving the cold, inquiring look from the Discipline Leader, he lowered his hand, all the while thinking furiously of what to tell the scary teenager. "I just…I just wanted to see…"

"Don't tell me those herbivorous delinquents put you up to erase their school records."

"…E-eh?" Sure, why not. "…Um…yeah."

…Wait, but wouldn't that get _him _in trouble? He didn't even know the bullies' name to back up his story. However, Hibari didn't seem to want to question him further on the subject. The black-haired male relaxed into his seat, lulling his head back and closing his eyes slowly. Enma waited with growing dread; he didn't like the sudden silence in the room, and even Hibird had stopped chirping pleasantly.

"…Hibari-senpai, can you…?" Enma lifted his arm up, shaking his wrist to let the other know that he was still cuffed to the desk. Hibari gave a sharp shake of his head, and the redhead sighed, defeated.

"Why do you listen to those herbivores?"

"Huh?" Enma glanced up, but Hibari wasn't looking at him; even so, the redhead had a feeling that those words were directed to him. If there was any worry embedded in them, they were masked cleverly by the passiveness in his voice. Hibari stared at him, knowing that the other heard him perfectly, and he wasn't in any mood in repeating himself. Enma thought about it; why was he listening to those bullies? Because there was no one to protect him, and he didn't want to be beaten to death anymore. He wanted everything to stop, everything to end. The way things were looking, though, he had high doubts on that.

So Enma thought for a while before replying, "…I don't know." Noticing the sudden tension in the room, he decided to alter his answer a little bit. "Because I can't take care of myself. There's no point in fighting back."

Enma watched as Hibird flew up and nestled into the Discipline Leader's unruly raven hair. Even the bird was abandoning him now. Great.

"Kozato Enma, I find you more than slightly pathetic."

_Thank you…? _

Enma's head dropped back to his knees and he sniffled; the air inside the Reception Room was making his nose run, but Hibari mistook it as a sniffle from tears. There was something horrendously pitiful about this kid, and even if Hibari wanted to bite said herbivore to death, he was finding it rather difficult to do just that.

"Don't the weaklings have guardians?" The corner of Hibari's lip curled ever so slightly.

"…I don't have one." Enma's face remained buried in his arms. "…I wish I did."

…_Useless herbivore._

Enma heard a soft sigh from in front and then the creak of the couch as someone lifted off it. His ears caught the metal tinkle of keys, and the next thing he knew, he indistinctly felt someone putting pressure against the handcuff on his wrist. He opened his eyes to see Hibari unlocking them. Surprised filled those vermilion irises, but Hibari ignored the look; he dropped the handcuffs to the side and stood up, arms crossed over his chest.

"This is the last time I'm letting you off. Keep yourself out of trouble."

Enma jutted his bottom lip out, keeping in any comments. If anything, he was in this trouble because Hibari was such a bitch to the teenagers that defied him. If it wasn't for him, Enma would be bullied normally, like on any regular basis. This was something different, and apparently, it was something he couldn't back out of. Out of common courtesy, Enma bowed his head and mumbled in a half-hearted, grateful tone.

"…Thank you."

And with that, he had darted out the door as if his life depended on it. The moment he was gone, Hibari scowled. It was a weird feeling; definitely not a feeling that arose often. Since when did he want to protect such herbivorous creatures? Why was Enma such an exception? It was infuriating him, and he allowed himself to fall back into the couch, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. Sliding his cell phone out of his pocket, he clicked at his inbox, and replied again:

_"Still in trouble?"_

The reply was quick and short:

_"…No. He let me off."_

Hibari smirked; what? No punishment at all? Whoever let him off had been too nice. Then again, he couldn't say anything. He had done the same.

* * *

"Excuse me, could you get that book for me?"

Enma turned his head to see a girl batting her eyelashes at him. He blinked back at her; he had just come back from detention, and Tsuna had told him to wait here while he checked out a book. The redhead glanced up at the bookshelf that was not-so-inconspicuously taller than him as all bookshelves should be, and stared back skeptically at the girl. She started to explain, "I'm scared of heights, see? I thought you could use the ladder and get the book for me. It's the one on Important Things that Happened in the 1800's."

Enma shrugged; he had nothing better to do. This girl didn't seem like she was going to cause him any harm, anyway. "Sure." Taking hold of the ladder, he vigilantly stepped up. Another step, and then another. It never really occurred to Enma whether or not he was scared of heights, so he just kept climbing. He reached the top step; he could see the top of the bookshelf now. He scanned over the titles on the spines of these worn-out library books, then he took a double take. "There's no…"

Oh, no.

With growing horror, he looked down to see two of the bullies from the previous days grinning up at him. "Gotcha~"

"What an idiot. He really fell for it."

The ladder shook as one of them grabbed it roughly. By instinct, Enma's hands shot out and held onto the top of the bookshelf, hoping in everything that he believed in that it would not fall from his weight and crush him. Why did he believe the girl? Even if she _was _a girl, he shouldn't have – sometimes, the girls were the meanest ones. They were so deceptive. Enma nearly cried out when the ladder was completely pulled out from underneath him and his feet were left dangling. He jerked his head back to see where the librarian was, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"HIIIIE! Enma-kun! What are you doing on top of the bookshelf?"

The poor victim had pulled himself onto the shelf, ducking his head a little so that he would not hit the ceiling. He gulped at the brunet; now that he saw how high up he was, he wasn't so sure about jumping back down, which had been his earlier plan. The bullies were guffawing with triumphant laughter, clearly amused and feeling victorious about a simple and dirty-played trick. Even Yamamoto was looking rather worried about the redhead's predicament.

"How'd the idiot get himself up there?" Gokudera scowled, giving the bullies a steadfast glare. One backed up a considerate distance, but the other was still too busy laughing to even care.

Tsuna was frantically moving towards the shelf, but halfway, he seemed to change his mind and took a step back, peering around imploringly to see if anyone was willing to help. The group was soon attracting a little crowd, but even then, the librarian was too occupied with a phone call. Enma wished adults would pay more attention sometimes.

"I will bite you all to death for this abominable crowding." There was a chilling pause, then, "You really can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

The bullies stopped chortling, and Enma, for once, was filled with happiness when he saw Hibari approaching him. Indefinable happiness, actually, and it scared him a little. It was like his heart was swelling up in his body, and a small smile pulled at his lips. The first smile he had cracked the entire day. Strange.

Hibari wasn't even remotely pleased with this sight, so, no, he did not return the smile.

"Who's responsible for this?" His voice was low, dangerous. No one dared to answer him, and no one even dared to point fingers at the people they knew were responsible. The girl that had told Enma to climb the shelf had mysteriously disappeared. "Herbivore, come down."

Enma immediately shook his head, eyes widening. Tsuna opened his mouth to protest, perhaps to tell Hibari that it wasn't as easy as he thought to jump down from a high bookcase. The brunet thought better of it, and kept silent. Hibari's expression darkened. "I'm not going to catch you. Jump. Now." The Discipline Leader pointed at the empty space at the ground below Enma.

Again, Enma shook his head, letting crimson bangs fall over his eyes.

Scowling icily, Hibari turned around and took one step as if to leave. The redhead's heart instantaneously sank; abandoned again? He couldn't deal with this anymore. Closing his eyes miserably, he obediently swung his legs over the side of the shelf, though his fingers were still gripping onto it for dear life. If he fell, he would blame it on Hibari for not being there to catch him.

"HIIIE! What are you doing?"

Enma saw the ground flying up to meet his face as he fell, but before anything could happen, he saw a flurry of brown hair and pain was the only thing he could comprehend in the confusion of human limbs and a few books. And then all went still. Enma blinked at the brunet who was on top of him. Somehow, they both managed to roll until they stopped into a position where Tsuna was awkwardly face-planted into his friend's neck, and his legs were suggestively straddled across Enma's groin. A few of the high school girls giggled in an discomfited way and turned their heads away, while most of the others gawked.

Because, no, this was not awkward at _all_. Enma continued to blink confusedly at Tsuna, who seemed at loss of what to say or do. Over by the side, Gokudera burned a shade of impossible red at the sight before him and nearly buckled into a dead faint if it wasn't for Yamamoto, who caught him before he could collapse on some poor innocent girl.

"Um…" Enma murmured, shifting uncomfortably.

"Er…" Tsuna's face started turning a deeper tint of pink. An embarrassing squeak escaped his lips as he was abruptly lifted off of Enma; with strength everyone knew that Hibari possessed, the Discipline Leader was holding Tsuna by the back of his shirt. The poor brunet's feet were dangling off the ground, and he looked absolutely terrified at the moment. "H-Hibari-san…eep!" Tsuna was suddenly tossed to the side; thank god for Gokudera waking up immediately and diving in his friend's way so that he could catch him.

Though Hibari's dark bangs veiled his eyes, Enma could already tell that the teenager was _not _happy at all. With what, he had no idea. Swallowing thickly, he peered up at the taller male and closed his eyes when he saw Hibari reaching for him. He was shocked to feel a hand grasping the front of his shirt and forcing him to stand up on his feet.

"Get going," Hibari hissed testily at the bullies, who had blanched considerably after the appearance of a certain Discipline Leader. They scrambled away like terrified dogs with their tails between their legs. Enma felt content, but when his vermilion orbs met with Hibari's, his own expression blanked and paled as well. They stared.

The crowd started to disperse, what with the tension spreading in the library.

And they continued to stare. Enma decided to speak up, "Hibari-senpai, you've got your hand on my shirt." He nodded down to the teenager's fist clenched on the fabric of his uniform.

Hibari finally rolled his eyes; nonetheless, he released the redhead and the boy stumbled back, unaware that he had been kept balanced _because _of Hibari. Enma stumbled back further when the latter took a threatening step towards him, and he soon found himself backed up against a wall. His eyes darted left and right, and he realized that Tsuna and company had fled; probably not because the brunet wanted to abandon him, but perhaps it was because the librarian finally decided to shoo everyone away. Everyone except the two of them, that is.

"Kozato Enma, you are incapable of taking care of yourself. I will bite you to death. Honestly."

Enma bowed his head, ashamed. Did he have to hear that twice in a day?

"You are distracting and troublesome; something that I will have to change." Silence. "You've got ten seconds before I change my mind."

_Huh? _The redhead blinked blearily at the figure that was so unbearably close to him, and he found that his eyes had dropped to Hibari's chest. He thought hard; what did Hibari mea—_oh. _

"Hibari-senpai…_you're _going to protect me?" Enma ogled the taller disbelievingly. Somehow, he already knew that an icy smirk would appear sooner or later.

"Interesting herbivore. No, I'm not protecting you. I'm protecting the appearance of this school. Making sure that you do not bleed to death on school property would already help; I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Butterflies flitted inside Enma's stomach as he heard those words. His eyes widened, gaping at the male's back as Hibari started to walk away. In his own little way, he had just said he agreed to protect him. Biting down on his bottom lip uncertainly, he wondered if Hibari was really going to keep his word. Knowing the Discipline Leader, he probably would, and for multiple unknown reasons, Enma couldn't figure out why on earth Hibari would want to protect a weakling like him.

Maybe Yamamoto was right. Maybe Hibari liked him. As a friend.

* * *

Enma couldn't get the feeling out of his head, even now when he was at home. It was vexing, and the butterflies weren't leaving, either. He pressed his face into his homework, ignoring the fact that pencil marks could easily get onto his face. Something was definitely bothering him, and it was just this one fact. He heard from his old school classmates that when someone had…well, a crush on someone, they would usually feel butterflies in their stomach.

…Enma suddenly felt a little nauseous.

He wanted to ask for advice. Ah, of course. Who else better than his oh-so-almighty text-friend. Enma was still slightly miffed that he had been held off earlier this day, but he decided to forgive said person. It wasn't like he could have done anything, anyway; Hibari would have bitten him to death.

_"Skylark, have…"_

Enma paused in the middle of his texting for a while, thinking long and hard before continuing:

_"Skylark, have you ever liked someone before?"_

Hibari's eyes flashed at the screen, slightly annoyed by the herbivorous, not to mention out-of-nowhere, question. Yet it wasn't like he was doing anything important in particular, so he decided to answer.

_"What kind of question is that."_

A smile appeared for only a second on Enma's face before disappearing like a blown-out candle. He started to sit up on his seat.

_"I mean, have you ever liked asdmhasdkj"_

Enma had accidentally dropped his phone; the letters pressed were his attempts to catch it before it could land on the desk. It landed into his pencil case with a loud clatter, and somehow, it had managed to send the message as well. Hastily snatching it back up, he started to press into the screen before Skylark could get annoyed by the incoherent reply.

_"Oops. I meant: have you ever liked a … boy?"_

When he didn't get a reply right away, he smiled teasingly. This was slightly amusing to him, even though he had none to little knowledge about boys liking boys. He texted again in a joking way; he realized that he must have been spamming the other person with messages:

_"I'm guessing you like one now."_

He should have known that he shouldn't have asked.

_"Are you done yet?"_

Enma covered a small smile with his hand.

_"Yes. ;D"_

Deciding that he should probably change the topic before Skylark would finally get fed up and stop texting him, he thought furiously for something else to talk about. 'How's the weather?' seemed ridiculous, so he trashed that idea.

_"I think I'll be alright at school now."_

His thoughts immediately went to Hibari and the event that had happened previous that day. Unbeknownst to him, his cheeks flushed a light pink. It was odd, having the hot-tempered teenager watching out for him. It was nice for a change, but still – his phone started to buzz against the wooden surface of his desk.

_"Why?"_

Enma replied,

_"Someone decided to step up. Though, would you protect me if you could?"_

No answer. Enma's thoughts strayed back to the stoic Discipline Leader.

Alright, so Hibari Kyoya proved himself to be a little bit different than Enma's first impression of him. The boy let his pen drop on his homework and sighed, at ease. Resting his head into his arms, he thought back; the butterflies that jumbled about in his stomach when he had that encounter with Hibari in the library hadn't been normal at all. He wondered what could have caused it. Curious about it, yet completely tired at the same time, Enma couldn't help it when sleep consumed the rest of his thoughts. He didn't even hear his phone buzzing pleasantly beside him.

_"I've got my hands full already."_

* * *

**AN:** To anyone who is reading Hell Cafe, TML, or SoS, just so you all know, I will not be posting until a month or so, because of exams and whatnot. I really must study now. ;_; Exams are coming up and I'm freaking out like cra~azy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, anyway. To whoever has exams as well, good luck!

All mistakes will be edited later on when I have more time. D:  
Ti amo!


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